Apparatus for delivering fiber material coming out of a blowing machine to carding engines



Oct. 5, 1965 TAKASHI MORIKAWA ETAL 3,

APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING FIBER MATERIAL COMING OUT OF A BLOWING MACHINE TO CARDING' ENGINES Filed Aug. 2, 1965 6 SheetsSheet 1 INVENTORS Thief/419w; 6. 14 A! N. ARlT M A V0 1965 TAKASHI MORIKAWA ETAL 3,210,128

APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING FIBER MATERIAL COMING OUT OF A BLOWING MACHINE T0 CARDING ENGINES Filed Aug. 2, 1963 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS; 77AM? Imam, A. flan MLM W, ATTORNEYS Oct. 5, 1965 TAKASHI MORIKAWA ETAL 3,210,128

APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING FIBER MATERIAL COMING OUT OF A BLOWING MACHINE TO CARDING ENGINES Filed Aug. 2, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet S 62 b 62' b' 62" b" 6/ INVENTORS M /m fi, flow N. FIR/TA AND M Mgr/gm) Oct. 5, 1965 TAKASHI MORIKAWA ETAL OR DELIVERING FIBER MATERIAL COMING BLOWING MACHINE TO CARDING ENGINES 3,210,128 OUT OF APPARATUS F 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 2, 1963 Fig.9

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[ill/AMI 4L 0 c ,p ATTORNEYS Oct. 5, 1965 TAKASHI MORIKAWA ETAL 3,210,128

APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING FIBER MATERIAL COMING OUT OF A BLOWING MACHINE TO CARDING ENGINES Filed Aug. 2. 1963 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS, 77 M02147; wn K 4 ad ai ATTORNEYS TAKASl-Il MORIKAWA ETAL Oct. 5, 1965 3,210,128

' APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING FIBER MATERIAL COMING OUT OF A BLOWING MACHINE T0 CARDING ENGINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Aug. 2, 1965 Fig.l5

United States Patent 3,210,128 APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING FIBER MATERIAL COMING OUT OF A BLOWING MACHINE TO CARDING ENGINES Takashi Morikawa, Amagasaki-shi, Osaka-fu, Kunio Aoki, Surniyoshi-ku, Osaka, Noboru Arita, Hirakatashi, Osaka-fu, and Mikio Matano, Hidaka-gnn, Wakayama-ken, Japan, assignors to Daiwa Boseki Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka, Japan, a corporation of Japan Filed Aug. 2, 1963, Ser. No. 299,662 Claims priority, application Japan, Aug. 7, 1962, 37/ 34,190 7 Claims. (Cl. 302-28) This invention relates to an apparatus for transferring fiber material coming out of a blowing machine and uniformly delivering the material to carding engines by a stream of air. More particularly, this invention relates to an apparatus for transferring fiber material opened and cleaned by a blowing machine in an air stream through a duct in which is provided a plurality of branches one for each of a plurality of carding engines, auto matically forming said material flowing into each branch into a lap of any thickness which lap is even in the direction of the width of said branch, and feeding the lap from each branch to a dish plate of the corresponding carding engine.

Heretofore, an apparatus for transferring by air fiber material coming out of a blowing machine and delivering the material to carding engines has been known. As a representation of such delivering apparatus, an apparatus having a duct connected with tower hoppers has been known. In order to form uniform lap by such apparatus, however, it is necessary to make the height of each tower hopper about 1.8-2 meters, which heights result in various shortcomings, for instance, the structure of the entire apparatus becomes large, the ratio of space occupancy of the apparatus becomes large, it costs more to manufacture such apparatus, the surveillance of working conditions of such apparatus and the maintenance of carding engines becomes inconvenient and it becomes diflicult for the fed fiber material to be uniform throughout the entire area of said hoppers due to the resistance of the surounding walls thereof.

Because of this, various attempts have been made to improve said apparatus using tower hoppers. However, the resulting apparatus has been more complicated and a uniform lap is not necessarily formed. Therefore, the apparatus of this kind has not actually been used yet.

Accordingly, a first object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for delivering fiber material which apparatus has a simple structure and can form fiber material coming out of a blowing machine and conveyed by an air stream into each of the branches of a duct into a lap of any thickness and which is even in the direction of width of said branches.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for continuously delivering fiber material coming out of a blowing machine as a uniform lap to carding engines.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for not only continuously forming fiber material into uniform lap in each of said branches, but also continuously forming equally uniform lap of desired thickness in each branch and delivering said lap to carding engines.

Said objects and advantages of this invention are achieved according to this invention by a delivering apparatus which comprises a duct for transferring fiber material coming out of a blowing machine together with air, a plurality of branches, one for each of a plurality of carding engines provided at intervals along said duct,

3,219,128 Patented Oct. 5, 1965 which branches open out of and extend downwardly from said duct, a plurality of rotatable transfer means one at the lower end opening of each of the branches for receiving the fiber material which flows into and falls into each of the branches and delivering said material onto a dish plate of a corresponding carding engine, and a plurality of air exhaust means provided at least in the lower part of each of the branches.

In order to facilitate understanding of this invention, this invention will now be explained with reference to accompanying drawings. It should be noted, however, that the accompanying drawings exemplify the embodiments of this invention and this invention is not limited by these examples.

In the accompanying drawings, like parts are indicated by like reference numerals.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of the delivering apparatus of this invention fitted on a carding device.

FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 show details of the delivering apparatus shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 being a perspective view of one delivering structure thereof, while FIG. 3 is a side elevation in vertical section thereof. FIG. 4 is a front elevation of FIG. 3 from the direction AA.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation in vertical section showing the main parts of another embodiment of this invention different from FIG. 2.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show the main parts of a still other different embodiment of this invention, FIG. 6 being a side elevation in vertical section thereof, while FIG. 7 is a top plan in section of FIG. 6 taken on line VIVI.

FIGS. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 are side elevations in vertical sections showing main parts of further different embodiments of this invention.

In the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1-3, at a proper place along a duct 1 for transferring fiber material coming out of a blowing machine (not shown) together with air, an opening 2 is provided, at which opening a branch 3 extending downwardly is fitted. The lower end of this branch 3 opens and that opening 4 is located above the upper surface of a perforated endless belt 5. The lower end of the perforated endless belt extends to a point above a dish plate 6 of a carding engine. A press roller 7 is provided at the end of the transferring direction, marked by an arrow, of the perforated endless belt 5 under the lower end of the branch 3, said press roller 7 has a positive driving connection with the endless belt 5 and a feed roller 8. A carding engine of any structure may be used, but a structure comprising a dish plate 6, a feed roller 8, a licker-in 9, a carding cylinder 10, a top 11 and a dofler 12 is shown here as one example.

In this invention, a plurality of such delivering structures is provided along the direction of length of the duct 1 as shown in FIG. 4. Each delivering structure is, as mentioned above, connected with a carding device. Accordingly, the branches 3 are provided in locations corresponding to the positions of the carding devices.

In a delivering structure shown in FIGS. 14, when fiber material coming out of a blowing machine (not shown) is supplied together with air by a proper air blowing apparatus (not shown) into the duct 1 in the direction of the arrow, a part of said air and fiber material flowing inside the duct 1 flows into the branch 3 from the opening 2 and the fiber material falls to the lower end opening 4 of the branch 3 due to the air proceeding downwardly and its own weight. The upper surface of the perforated endless belt 5 being located close to said lower end opening 4, the fiber material flowing into and falling along the branch 3 stays on said perforated endless belt 5, and the air flowing in the branch 3 3 flows out mainly through the numerous perforations of the perforated endless belt and partly through the space between the lower end of the branch 3, the perforated endless belt 5 and the press roller 7.

When the fiber material is not uniform on the upper surface of the perforated endless belt 5 inside the branch 3, the continuously flowing air stream accompanied by fiber material flows more to the thin part of said fiber material on the upper surface of said endless belt 5 than to a dense part thereof, and as a result on the upper surface of said belt 5 inside the branch 3, the fiber material gradually achieves a uniform density throughout the entire area of the opening 4.

Said fiber material inside the branch 3 is formed into a lap L by slowly revolving the perforated endless belt 5 and the press roller 7 in the direction marked by the arrow from a proper power source (not shown) and the lap L is continuously forwarded in the direction of the dish plate 6 and delivered in succession to the licker-in 9 and the carding cylinder by the feed roller 8 and then carded.

The arrow in the duct 1 shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 as well as the other drawings shows the flow direction of the air carrying the fiber material, while the arrows inside the endless belt shown in FIG. 3 as well as the other drawings show the revolving direction of said belt.

The apparatus of FIG. 5 is the same in structure as the apparatus of FIGS. 1-4 except that it is so constituted that the perforated endless belt 5 inclines in a direction opposite to that of the perforated endless belt in the apparatus of FIGS. 1-4, the lower end opening 4 of the branch 3 is located above the lower end of said belt 5, the upper end of said belt 5 is provided close to the dish plate 6, and while the lap formed by said belt 5 and the press roller 7 is being transferred upwardly by said belt 5, said lap is delivered at the upper end of said belt 5 to the dish plate 6 in cooperation with a guide roller 51.

Consequently, in the delivering apparatus of this invention, the direction of inclination of the rotatable transfer means provided under and close to the opening 4 of the branch 3 is optional and said transfer means may also be so constituted as to deliver the lap to the dish plate 6 without any inclination at all.

FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 show an embodiment further differing from the aforesaid embodiments, of which FIG. 6 is a side elevation in vertical section of the main parts thereof while FIG. 7 is a top plan view in section of FIG. 6 taken on line VIVI.

A delivering apparatus of this invention shown in FIGS 6 and 7 is the same in basic structure as said apparatuses of FIGS. 1-5 except that an auxiliary duct 61 for feeding auxiliary air is provided parallel to a duct 1 and said auxiliary duct 61 and the duct 1 are connected by branch ducts 62, 62, 62 provided at proper places between the two for feeding auxiliary air into the duct 1.

In the delivering apparatuses shown in FIGS. l-S, because a part of the air accompanying the fiber material flowing inside the duct flows in the branch 3 connected with the duct 1 and flows out from the lower part of the branch 3, with the increase in number of the branches 3 the flowing speed of said air accompanying the fiber material flowing inside the duct 1 falls gradually, as a result the volume of the fiber material delivered per unit period of time into each branch 3, 3, 3" connected with the duct 1 is apt to become lower and vary as said air flow toward the end of the duct 1 remote from the blower. It is true that this undesirable trend does not necessarily become a great obstacle in the delivering apparatuses shown in FIGS. 1-5 because when a proper volume of the fiber material stays inside the branch 3, the additional fiber material which might otherwise stay thereafter is blown away successively by the air flowing inside the duct 1 and transfers to the remote end of the duct 1 and fills the branches 3', 3", 3" located nearer to the remote end. Further, this undesirable trend can also be prevented by making the areas of the openings 2, 2', 2, 2" and of the branches 3, 3', 3", 3" in the duct 1 gradually larger in this sequence or making the internal cross sectional area of the duct 1 gradually smaller toward the remote end or providing inclined wall portions 1a, 1a, 1a" at the point where branches 3, 3', 3" connect with the duct 1 and gradually varying the angle of said inclination and/or the length of said inclined wall portions, and the voume of the fiber material collected in each branch 3, 3', 3", 3" can be made uniform by such means.

However, making uniform the volume of the fiber material collected in each branch by such means requires minute preliminary designs and such apparatuses are difficult to adjust; moreover, it has a shortcoming that when the volume of air and the fiber material supplied into the duct 1 is varied, such apparatuses are not necessarily adjustable to that variation.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, when the auxiliary duct 61 is provided parallel to the duct 1, a proper number of the branch ducts 62, 62, 62" is provided between the openings 2, 2', 2" of each branch 3, 3', 3" and a proper volume of auxiliary air is supplied through these branch ducts, it is possible to make uniform the volume of the fiber material collected in each branch 3, 3, 3" connected with the duct 1 in sequence in the direction of the length thereof by maintaining the air pressure inside the duct 1 uniform throughout the length of the duct 1 or, as occasion demands, increasing said pressure closer to the remote end of the duct.

Accordingly, although the size of each branch duct 62, 62, 62" is shown as being the same in FIG. 7, it is possible to gradually vary the size and the angle b of each branch duct or provide a valve in each branch duct and thereby control the volume and direction of auxiliary air supplied into the duct 1. The auxiliary air stream supplied into the auxiliary duct 61 may be a mere air stream or an air stream accompanied by the fiber material of a proper density, and the pressure of said auxiliary air may be properly controlled. The angle at which the auxiliary air is introduced from the branch duct into the duct and the form of the branch duct may be properly designed the form of the branch duct may be properly designed as desired. By doing so it becomes possible conveniently to make uniform the volume of the fiber material collected in each branch 3, 3, 3" according to the volume of air supplied into the duct 1 and/or the kind of material fibers.

Four further difierent embodiments of this invention will be explained with reference to FIGS. 8-11.

All the delivering apparatuses of FIGS. 8-11 are, as shown in the drawings, different from the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-7 in that they are so constituted that the flow direction of the air carrying the fiber material flowing inside the duct 1 marked by arrows is directed against the front of the perforated endless belt 5.

In each of these apparatuses of FIGS. 8-11, constituted as above, one end 5 of the perforated endless belt 5 extends into each branch 3, 3', 3" provided at intervals along the direction of the length of the duct 1 whereby it is possible to let the fiber material in the air stream flowing inside the duct 1 collect on said endless belt.

The apparatus of FIG. 8 is so constituted that the opening 2 of the branch 3 into the duct 1 is made larger than the lower opening 4 of the branch 3 and the perforated endles belt 5 extends into the duct 1 through the branch 3 so that one end 5' of said belt is a little higher than the lower part of the duct 1.

With such an arrangement, in the apparatus of FIG. 8, the air and the fiber material flowing inside the duct flows into the opening 2 of the branch 3 according to the inclination of the front plate 83 of the branch 3 and impinges on the upper part of the perforated endless belt 5 extending into the branch 3 and the fiber material collects there.

The collected fiber material is carried out of the branch 3 with the revolution of said belt 5 and delivered to the dish plate of the carding engine (not shown) from the other end of said belt. In the apparatus of FIG. 8, it is possible to control the inclination of the front Wall 83 of the branch 3 by a hinge 82 and to control the collection area and volume of the fiber material collected on the upper part of said belt 5 by an air shutter plate 81 provided inside the perforated endless belt 5.

The apparatus of FIG. 9 is basically same in structure as the apparatus of FIG. 8 except that the back plate 92 of the branch 3 covers the upper end of the perforated endless belt 5 extending into the branch 3, a press roller 93 is fitted at the lower end of the front plate 83 of the branch 3 and an air shutter plate 91 having an adjustable length is provided inside said belt 5. In the apparatus of FIG. 9, a back wall 94 is additionally provided under the back plate 92.

With the apparatus of FIG. 9 constituted as above, the air pressure in the space between the perforated endless belt and the front plate 83 of the branch 3 becomes larger than the air pressure in the space occupied by the backside of said belt, the back plate 92 of the branch 3 and the back wall 94. Accordingly, the air inside the duct passes through the part of the perforated endless belt 5 in the branch 3 more easily than in the apparatus of FIG. 8, and as a result the fiber material mixed in said air collects on the surface of the perforated endless belt 5 more easily and said collected fiber is formed into lap with the revolution of said belt in cooperation with the action of the press roller 93 and carried out to the other end of said belt.

The apparatus of FIG. 10 is characterized in that a direction control wing 101 for controlling the direction of the air stream carrying the fiber material flowing inside the duct 1 is provided in front of the upper end 5' of the perforated endless belt 5 extending into the branch 3 so that by controlling the angle of this direction control wing 101 the desired volume of the fiber material will collect on said belt. In the apparatus of FIG. 10, the shutter wall 94 is located in contact with the backside of the perforated endless belt 5. In this apparatus, the fiber material collects in the triangular space of the vertical section between the front plate 83 of the branch 3 and the perforated endless belt 5 and with the revolution of said belt the fiber material is formed into lap and carried to the dish plate of the carding engine (not shown) close to the lower end of said belt. For information, the embodiments of FIGS. 8 and 9, already described and FIG. 11 described hereunder are same as the case of FIG. 10 in that the fiber material collects in the aforesaid triangular space of the vertical section.

The apparatus of FIG. 11 is substantially the same in structure as the apparatus of FIG. 8 except that a rotor having a plurality of wings 111 is provided in a location corresponding to that of the direction control wing 101 of the apparatus of FIG. 10 and the press roller 93 is provided at the lower end of the front plate 83 of the branch 3, This apparatus is so constituted that when the volume of the fiber material collected in said triangular space of the vertical section exceeds a certain level, by rotating the rotor 111 in the direction of arrow it is possible to blow off the excessive fiber material in the direction of the remote end of the duct 1 and thereby positively make uniform the volume of the fiber material collected in the triangular space of the vertical section of each branch 3, 3', 3" A plate 112 provided immediately above the upper end of the perforated endless belt 5 inside the duct 1 can have the end 112" moved up and down with the pivot 112' as a supporting point, thereby controlling the volume of air passing through the perforated part of said belt, thus controlling the density of the fiber material collecting in the triangular space of the vertical section of each branch 3, 3', 3"

In the apparatuses of FIGS. 8-11, it is possible to additionally provide the auxiliary duct 61 parallel to the duct 1 and supply auxiliary air through the branch ducts 62, 62 into the duct 1.

Of said apparatuses of FIGS. 8-11, in the embodiments of FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, a greater part of air flowing in the branch 3 flows out therefrom through the numerous perforations of the perforated endless belt 5. However, in the embodiments of FIG. 8 and FIG. 11, because the air shutter plate 81 is provided inside the perforated endless belt 5, by controlling the location of said plate 81 the volume of air flowing out through the perforations of said belt is controlled. However, even when said air shutter plate 81 is located about the same level as that of the lower end opening 4 of the branch 3 or higher than that, air flowing in the branch 3 flows out from the space between said belt 5 and the front plate 83, and the press roller 93, if any, and the space between both side walls of the branch 3 (not shown) and said belt 5 and by the flow of this air the fiber material which has flowed in together with said air stream collects on a thin part of the fiber material in the triangular space of the vertical section, and as a result the density of the fiber material staying in said triangular space of the vertical section is maintained uniform.

However, the delivering apparatuses of FIGS. 8-11 are, as mentioned above, so constituted that air inside the duct 1 flows against the front of the endless belt 5, so that the width of said endless belt 5 must naturally be made substantially the same as that of the carding cylinder. Therefore, in said apparatuses it is necessary to enlarge the width of the duct 1 to that extent as compared with the case as shown in FIGS. 17 wherein air inside the duct 1 flows laterally of the endess belt 5. Because of this, when these apparatuses are used, the space occupied by the duct 1 in a factory becomes large and an air blowing apparatus for forming an air stream inside the duct 1 is required to be enlarged in proportion, which is a shortcoming.

From the study of the present inventors it has been found that it is possible to maintain a uniform volume of the fiber material in the branch 3, 3, 3" without necessarily providing such complicated auxiliary structures as the direction control wing 101 and the rotor 111 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, respectively by properly designing the auxiliary air induction structure shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. However, when the complication of the apparatus is considered separately, it is possible to further strictly control the uniformity of the collected volume of the fiber material in each branch by using the aforesaid auxiliary structures with the apparatuses of FIGS. 1-7.

The apparatus of FIG. 12 is same in structure as the delivering apparatus shown in FIG. 6 except that a suction opening 122 connected to the suction part of a fan 121 is provided inside the perforated endless belt 5 under the lower end opening 4 of the branch 3.

The apparatus of FIG. 13 is substantially same in structure as the delivering apparatus of FIG. 6 except that one roller of the perforated endless belt 5 is a perforated roller 131 in which the suction pipe 132 connected to the suction part of the fan 121 opens and a guide plate 133 for guiding air is provided in the direction in which this opening opens under the lower end opening 4 of the branch 3 inside said endless belt 5.

The apparatus of FIG. 14 is substantially same as the apparatus of FIG. 6 except that a perforated roller 141 is provided instead of the perforated endless belts 5 is provided in the apparatuses so far explained. In this apparatus a guide plate 142 is provided between said perforated roller 141 and the dish plate 6 in order to deliver lap formed on the perforated roller 141 and rolled by the press roller 7 and delivered to the dish plate 6 of the carding engine. Said guide plate 142 may be omitted by placing the end of the dish plate 6 directly under the perforated roller 141. There is also provided a suction pipe 143 connected to the suction part of a fan (not shown) as in FIGS. 12 and 13 and which opens toward the lower end opening 4 of the branch 3 from inside the perforated cylinder 141.

In the apparatus of FIGS. 12 and 13 and in the embodiment of this invention which provides the suction pipe 143 in the apparatus of FIG. 14, by controlling the suction action of the suction member it is possible to control the volume of air flowed in the branch 3 from the duct 1 and thereby control the volume of the fiber material staying on the fiber material transfer means inside said branch 3, for instance, said perforated endless belt or said perforated roller 141. Also it is possible to make the volume of the fiber material staying in each branch 3, 3, 3" uniform by controlling separately the individual suction actions due to the suction member according to the sequence of a plurality of the branches 3, 3', 3" provided along on the duct 1 toward its remote end.

The apparatus of FIG. is so constituted that the fiber material transfer means provided under the branch 3 is not perforated as in the apparatus so far explained, but is an endless belt 151 without perforations for passage of air. Instead a proper volume of air is enabled to flow out from the space between the lower end opening 4 of the branch 3 and the upper surface of the non-perforated endles belt 151 opposite thereto and/or the space between the press roller 7 and the lower end 152 of the front plate of the branch 3 by properly controlling the size these spaces. In this case, it is also possible to additionally provide perforations for exhausting air at least in the lower part of the member constituting the branch 3. In the drawing is shown a case wherein said perforations for exhausting air are provided at least in the lower part of the back plate 153 of the branch 3.

The part of the member constituting the branch 3 in which said perforations are provided must be at least on the lower part of said member, and when the branch is short the perforations approach the upper opening of the branch, but what is important is that air in the branch flows out downwardly from the branch through the perforations.

By providing perforations for exhausting air at least in the lower part of the branch 3 and/ or properly controlling the space between the lower end of the member constituting the branch 3 and the upper surface of said belt 151 opposite thereto or the press roller 7, thereby causing a proper volume of air to flow out from the space thus formed, the same as in the delivering apparatuses so far explained, a part of the air inside the duct 1 flowing into the branch 3 is caused to flow downwardly in the branch 3, the fiber'material mixed in said air is caused to collect on the transfer means, for instance, the nonperforated endless belt 151. At the sametime, a greater volume of air carrying the fiber material is caused to flow through a part of the collected fiber material where the density is thin, whereby the fiber material is gradually built up in said thin part, whereby it is possible to make the density of the fiber material in the branch 3 uniform in the same manner as in the aforesaid apparatuses. An embodiment in which an auxiliary duct 61 is additionally provided is shown in FIG. 15, but the auxiliary duct 61 can be omitted.

In the apparatus of FIG. 15, it is possible as in the apparatus of FIG. 5 to change the direction of inclination of the non-perforated endless belt 151 so that one end of said belt 151 toward the dish plate 6 is higher than the lower end opening 4 of the branch 3.

The delivering apparatus of this invention which, as described above in detail, causes the fiber material coming out of a blowing machine to flow together with air inside a duct, causes at least a part of said air carrying the fiber material to flow into each of a plurality of branches provided at intervals along the duct and opening out of and extending downwardly from the duct, and causes said air to flow downwardly in each of said branches, thereby &

causing the fiber material to continuously collect in each of said branches, is characterized primarily in that the distribution of the fiber material is made uniform by the volume of the air stream carrying the fiber material flowing through the collected fiber material.

When a plurality of tower hoppers are provided along a duct, as heretofore, due to the great height of the tower hoppers, air flowing into each of the tower hoppers does not flow out from the lower part thereof, and because of this, uniformity of the collected fiber material because of the air flowing downwardly in the collected fiber material cannot be achieved.

In contrast thereto, because the apparatus of this invention makes uniform the distribution of the collected fiber material in each branch by causing the whole or a part of the air flowing into each branch to flow out downwardly therefrom, the distribution of the collected fiber material is made all the more uniform and therefore the height of each branch must inevitably be small as compared to that of existing tower hoppers, which results in the advantage for the present invention that it occupies a smaller space in a factory and is easier to operate.

Also in the apparatus of this invention, because the lower opening of the branch faces the upper surface of the revolvable fiber material transfer means, the uniformly distributed fiber material collected in each branch as mentioned above is successively carried out of each branch while being formed into a uniform lap and is delivered onto the feeding end of each carding engine, for instance, the dish plate.

Moreover, at this time, by controlling the volume of air caused to fiow into the duct and/or the density of the fiber material in said air or the capacity of each branch, it is possible to form the fiber material into the desired fiber lap, for instance, lap of desired thickness.

Also in the apparatus of this invention, by providing the auxiliary duct 61 parallel to the duct 1 and supplying a proper volume of auxiliary air in the auxiliary duct or controlling the density of the fiber material contained in the auxiliary air inside the auxiliary duct or providing an inclination or other auxiliary structures at the opening of each branch connecting the auxiliary duct with the main duct, it is always possible to make all the more uniform the volume of the fiber material collected in each of the plurality of branches provided at intervals along the duct.

Thus, according to this invention, it is possible to uniformly and continuously deliver the fiber material coming out of a blowing machine to a plurality of carding device by a simple structure utilizing the action of the air itself.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for delivering to carding engines a fiber material coming out of a blowing machine, said apparatus comprising a main duct for transferring fiber material coming out of a blowing machine together with air from blower, a plurality of branches, one for each of a plurality of carding engines provided at intervals along the duct, said branches opening out of and extending downwardly of the duct, a rotatable transfer means including an air exhausting means passing air therethrough directly into the atmosphere and facing the opening in the lower end of each of the branches for receiving the fiber material which flows into and falls down each of the branches and delivering said material onto a feeding part of each of the carding engines, said transfer means rotating in synchronization with the revolution of the feeding part of the carding engines, and a press roller at each transfer means for uniformly pressing the fiber material on the transfer means.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least a part of each of said branches has perforations therein for the exhaustion of air.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said branches is provided with a movable inclined wall portion for controlling the size of the branch opening at said main duct and the volume of the branch duct with respect to the fiber material for delivery to the transfer means.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said transfer means is a rotatable perforated endless belt.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said transfer means comprises a perforated roller and a guide plate disposed between said roller and the feeding part of the carding engine.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and an auxiliary duct provided along and adjacent said main duct for introducing auxiliary air and a plurality of branch ducts between said auxiliary duct and said main duct.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein a means for controlling the passing air is secured to each of said branch ducts which extends between said main duct and said auxiliary duct.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner. ANDRES H. NIELSEN, Examiner. 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING TO CARDING ENGINES A FIBER MATERIAL COMING OUT OF A BLOSING MACHINE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A MAIN DUCT FOR TRANSFERRING FIBER MATERIAL COMING OUT OF A BLOWING MACHINE TOGETHER WITH AIR FROM BLOWER, A PLURALITY OF BRANCHES, ONE FOR EACH OF A PLURALITY OF CARDING ENGINES PROVIDED AT INTERVALS ALONG THE DUCT, SAID BRANCHES OPENING OUT OF AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY OF THE DUCT, A ROTATABLE TRANSFER MEANS INCLUDING AN AIR EXHAUSTING MEANS PASSING AIR THERETHROUGH DIRECTLY INTO THE ATMOSPHERE AND FACING THE OPENING IN THE LOWER END OF EACH OF THE BRANCHES FOR RECEIVING THE FIBER 